I think the writers of spooks made Lucas pretty lame in Series 8 for a reason. Watching Series 7 you see that he is finding his was back into the world of MI-5 and the only way for him to go is up. So in Series 8 you would think he would be better, right? Wrong. The last thing that the writers want, IMHO, is another Adam Carter. Lucas's character is supposed to be ambiguous, struggling, and always on the verge of a meltdown because of his background. He is, in a way, the "anti-thesis" of Adam. Adam had the wife, the son, and the swagger, but why have another "hero" like that? That would be boring. I suspect we will see Lucas did struggling and will not likely be section chief and that will add to his struggle....It's a rant...sorry if it doesnt make sense

Really good observation, age1021. And I wholeheartedly agree with your comparison of Lucas and Adam.

Lucas certainly has shown glimpses of having the confidence and "swagger" that Adam had, but his experiences have left such an indelible impression on him they've created a hole in his character that has yet to be filled (and may never be). Nowhere was this more evident then in his misguided attempt to foster a relationship with Sarah.

Nevertheless, I feel like the writers put Lucas through the wringer throughout Series 8 for a reason. I think you'll see a dramatic growth in his character, slowly but surely moving past what happened in Russia. And I think they will use that as a springboard to justify him becoming Section Chief.

At the end of series 8 episode 8, the way they reach a decision about the bomb is really good

I thought the storyline with Sarah Caulfield was against his character & could have done without it to be honest